Rock of Ages: JANE’S ADDICTION – the Gallery/Review

Jane’s Addiction are kinda ridiculous in the way I always imagine that Entourage version of LA to be ridiculous. Attractive. Definitely entertaining. Quite a bit mental. A lot silly. But that’s what being all Rock of Ages does to you, over time.

They were cooler then, naturally (last I met Porno for Perry Farrell was in ‘93 in a venue kitchen, with Wayne Coyne in the next room, and Farrell wearing leather gloves when he shook my hand), because they were all strung out and freaks. Now they’re just older, still sorta freakish, which is good I guess, and they’ve got hot girls in bras and really long skirts suspended high on swings as part of their stage show. (The same girls who stalk around in fetish wear with ball-gags in their mouth while they grind and go on bended knees against Farrell in a sort of fauxlatio sort of way).

Bros in ballcaps bro-down and hug Farrell’s leg, and he beams, or shakes their hands, then passes around a bottle or two into the audience. He rambles something about liking Vancouver, how it’s pretty, how it has better FISH than “where we’re from, WHICH IS LOS ANGELES!”, and is all sinew and ribs, while he stalks and showmanships the hell out of the show.

And then there’s Dave Navarro. Ah Dave. The Khal Drogo of rock n’ roll. All nipple rings and angular features and buffness and tattoos and you can’t help but giggle a little just cos he’s also an attention whore, of course. He gives great pose and stares down your camera. That jawline! Those lips! HE IS MADE OF THE (PRODUCED) ROCK, Dave Navarro is. And once I get over the overpowering urge to tug on a piercing, I remember, hey, he’s a reality TV star! And was that a ripped-off riff of The Cure’s “Forest” slipped into that intro? Nice. The guitar, tonight, actually, sounds crystal.

And the songs? Well, “Mountain Song” was in there, third in. “Jane Says”, of course. “Stop!” comes much later – after the weird animatronic robot chick legs pushing a pram come out, and longer still after the crazy films in the background. There’s “Been Caught Stealing” and “Ted, Just Admit It,” and some others, but these are the ones of HISTORICAL IMPORT. And you think, You know what? Jane’s Addiction are ridiculous but Ganesh bless ‘em, tonight they put on a good show. And that’s the bros could ever ask for. That and the strippers with ball-gags in their mouths. \m/